Brunswick Cathedral Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Brunswick Cathedral
Collegiate Church of Saint Blaise and Saint John the Baptist

Location	Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany
Denomination	Lutheran
Previous denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Dedication	Saint Blaise, John the Baptist and Thomas Becket
Consecrated	29 December 1226
Architecture
Style	Romanesque
Years built	1173–1195

The Brunswick Cathedral (called Dom St. Blasii in German) is a large Lutheran church located in the city of Braunschweig, Germany. It's also known as the Collegiate Church of Saints Blaise and John the Baptist.

In Germany, a church called "Dom" can be a cathedral or a special church with a college of clergy. This church is currently used by a Lutheran church group.

History of Brunswick Cathedral
- Building the Church
- Changes Over Time
Important Burials
- Notable People Buried Here
Gallery
See also

History of Brunswick Cathedral

Building the Church

Henry the Lion, a powerful duke, started building this church between 1173 and 1195. He planned for it to be a collegiate church, which means it had a group of clergy (like priests) living and working together.

Some very important items inside the church include a wooden crucifix made by an artist named Master Imervard in the late 1100s. There's also a huge bronze candlestick with seven arms, created around the 1170s.

Building the church was stopped a few times because Henry the Lion had to go into exile. Because of this, both he and his wife, Matilda, Duchess of Saxony, were buried in the church before it was fully finished. Their limestone statues on their tomb in the nave (the main part of the church) were made later, between 1230 and 1240.

The cathedral was officially opened and dedicated on December 29, 1226. It was dedicated to Saints Blaise, John the Baptist, and Thomas Becket.

Changes Over Time

In 1543, during the Protestant Reformation, the city of Braunschweig joined a group called the Schmalkaldic League. This meant the church changed from being Roman Catholic to Lutheran. The group of clergy who lived there was then dissolved.

Until 1671, the cathedral held a special collection of religious items from the Middle Ages. This collection later became known as the Welfenschatz, or Guelph Treasure. In 2015, Germany declared 42 pieces of this treasure a national treasure.

These items are now cared for by a foundation and are displayed at the Bode-Museum in Berlin. The cathedral lost the collection in 1671 when it was moved by John Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

Important Burials

The Brunswick Cathedral is the resting place for many important historical figures. These include Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (who lived from 1175/76 to 1218) and Caroline of Brunswick, who was the Queen Consort of George IV of the United Kingdom.

Notable People Buried Here

Henry the Lion (1129–1195)
- Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony (1156–1189), his wife
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1175/76-1218)
- Empress Beatrice of Hohenstaufen (1198–1212), his wife
Caroline, Queen of the United Kingdom (wife of George IV)
Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1671–1735)
Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1680–1735)
Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1713–1780)
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick (1735–1806)
Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1771–1815), known as the Black Duke